This Detroit High School Hosts a Girls-Only Prom

Hamtramck High School in Michigan holds a girls-only prom as an alternative celebration for students who cannot attend traditional coed ceremonies. (Photo: Getty Images)

A Michigan high school has found an innovative way to allow girls who would normally not be allowed to attend proms for cultural reasons to gather together for the annual rite of passage. Hamtramck High School in Detroit has been hosting the annual Princess Prom, which allows Muslim girls to get dolled up in high fashion and dance the night away.

Since 2012, Hamtramck’s Princess Prom has given Muslim girls who wear the traditional hijab garb the chance to put on heels and dresses, wear makeup, and dance to their favorite songs but without the added element of boys or cell phones. The prom was first started by five Muslim girls at the school and has been growing in attendance ever since, reports MLive.com.

The absence of cell phones would normally be unheard of at a high school prom these days, but the rule is in place to keep the safety and sanctity of the attendees at the top of the order.

“We’re on our phones 24/7, and if you don’t have it for a few hours, it’s so calming and everybody is having a fun time,” said Aisha Khanum, an 18-year-old student and member of the Princess Prom planning committee. MLive adds that there is a special area where girls can use their cell phones.

The five young ladies who founded the prom struck a partnership with General Motors, which adds a photo booth for the ever-necessary group selfies free of charge. Also, beauty supply companies have provided gifts for the prom’s planners to hand out in take-home prom bags.

Hamtramck High does host traditional coed prom ceremonies, and the Princess Prom is open to any girl who would like to attend regardless of religion.